AZ abuse report shows 5,940 CPS cases assigned

A new team assigned to review more than 6,500 child abuse and neglect reports that weren't investigated by Arizona child welfare officials says they've now assigned 5,940 of those cases to investigators.

The so-called CARE team named on Dec. 2 by Gov. Jan Brewer provided the latest update Tuesday.

It said 3,628 children identified in the reports now have been seen and 3,017 cases have had a response.

The team is led by the head of the state's Juvenile Corrections Department, Charles Flanagan.

Department of Economic Security Director Clarence Carter revealed the uninvestigated reports called into a hotline on Nov. 21.

He's placed five senior Child Protective Services workers on administrative leave while an investigation is underway on how the cases were illegally closed.

In this Aug. 12, 2014, file photo, the media attend a press briefing where Thai police display projected pictures of surrogate babies born to a Japanese man who is at the center of a surrogacy scandal. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)

A Thai court has given a wealthy Japanese businessman sole custody of 13 children he fathered through surrogates in Thailand.